Panorama



Patented May 9, I899. H. H. GROSS.

PANORAMA.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1899.)

(No Modgl.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

HOWARD H. GROSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PANORAMA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,479, dated May 9, 1899.

Application filed February 10, 1899. Serial No. 705,170. (No model.)

.To. all whom it may 007we7 -m- Be a known that I, HOWARD H. GEoss, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Chi- .cago,in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Panoramas, of which the following is a specification, reference being had foreground extending to and meeting the painting and provided with a point of observation which is so arranged as to form a part of the scene to be viewed, and still more particularly to panoramas in which a portion of the foreground is designed torepresent water.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means by which light effects, such as sunrise and sunset, may be arranged in a natural manner.

It has for a further object to provide mechanism by which the part of the panorama or part of the View which is designed to represent water may be given motion, so as to give the effect of moving waves; and it has for a further object to generallyim prove the structure and mechanism of such panoramas in details hereinafter pointed out.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on lines 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an ention-platform 6 as representing a ship and parts thereof. It is obvious, however, that they may be made to represent some other natural forms 6 and 7 should be built up so as to form to the observer standing upon the platform 6 Y some portion of the scene to be viewed. Upon the side walls and ceiling of the building is painted the sky 9 of the picture.

'10 indicates a canopy suspended from the roof 5 above the observation-platform 6, upon which lights 11 are mounted and connected with any suitable apparatus for turning the lights off or on and varying the degree of light given thereby.

12 indicates a circular partition of canvas or other material suitable to have painted upon it a portion of the scene. The circular partition 12 is concentric with the wall of the building and is set a suitable distance therefrom in order to receive behind it lights 13,

which may be of various colors and are connected with any suitable apparatus for turning them up or down and varying to any desired degree the light given out thereby. The top of the circular partition 12 forms the horizon of the picture, and the partition has painted upon its inner surface such portion of the landscape as forms thehorizon and the more I distant parts of the landscape, which in Fig. 2 are represented as mountains, although it may represent any other natural objects.

14 indicates a second circular partition which is set inside the partition 12, concentric therewith and witha short space between them. Upon the inner surface of the circular partition, which is formed of any material suitable to be painted upon, are painted such portions of the landscape as may be called the middle distance, which in Fig. 2 is shown as being partly water and partly land.

15 indicates a series of thin boards bent in the arcs of a circle, beveled at their upper edges and arranged along the lines of concentric circles having a common center beso that the supported portions of one are opposite to the unsupported portions of the other at a point approximately midway between its fixed supports.

17 indicates lugs which are secured to the rear surface of each of the curved boards at a point midway between the fixed sup-- ports 16. I

18 indicates wires, rods, or ropes, the inner ends of which are within the platform? in a suitable inclosure therein and which pass through and are secured to the lugs 17. It will be observed from what has been said that alternate one of the boards 15 at the free portion thereof, so that a pull upon anyone of the wires 18 will cause the several boards to which it is attached to move inwardly toward the' center of the building a slight distance, and when the wire is released the board will spring back to its original position. The inner surfaces of the boards 15 are painted to represent waves or ripples upon the water, and by the manipulation of the wires or rods 18 from within the platform 7, either by hand or by any suitable mechanism, the effect of moving waves is produced to the spectator standing upon the platform (3/ In the drawings I have shown the boards 15 as surrounding the platform 7 upon both sides, whereby the platform 7, which, as I have said, is built to represent a ship, would appear to be floating in the midst of the water, and such strips are so painted as to form with the platform what maybe called the foreground of the picture. I have also shown them as being so attached to the'rods that the alternate ones move together. It is obvious, however, that these strips need not occupy the entire foreground and completely surround the observationplatform and that they might be 0th.- erwise connected, so that groups of two or three only might move together, and I therefore do not wish to confine myself to theprecise structure shown.

I have said above that the lights 11 and the lights 13 may be connected with any suitable apparatus for turning them up and down and varying to any desired degree the light given out thereby. I have shown them in the drawings as electric lights connected with any suit able source of supply with the wires connecting them with the source of supply passing through a rheostat 19 and a'suitable switchboard 20, which are located in any suitable position upon the platform 7, so that they may be controlled by an operator, and the lights, as above stated, maybe of different colors in order to produce sunrise or sunset effects. For instance, if it is desirable to make the scene apparently pass from night through sunrise to daylight the lights will be all turned out and gradually turned on by the manipulation of the'switchboard through the operation of the rheostat by the operator, using such colored lights as maybe desirable. The lights which are in the portion of the picture which represents the east will be first turned on gradually, one after the other, and then other lights in the panorama will be successively turned on, using such colors as may be desirable to produce the desired effect until, all the lights being lighted, the entire picture is'illuminated, giving the effect, as said above,

' of passing from darkness through sunrise to j daylight.

I do not, however, wish to confine myself to the use of electric lights and the precise apparatus shown, as it is obvious that the sameeffects might be produced by other forms of lights and other methods of turning them on and off.

That which I claim as my invention, and de sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a panorama, the combination with a wall painted to represent the sky, of a partitionparallel with said wall, set a distance therefrom, and painted to represent part of a landscape, lights arranged between said wall and said partition, and mechanism adapted to manipulate said lights, substantially as described.

2. In a panorama, the combination with a wall painted to represent the sky, of a partition parallel with .said wall, set a distance therefrom, and .painted to represent the distant part of a landscape, and having its top corresponding with the horizon-line of a landscape, lights arranged between said wall and said partition, and mechanism adapted to -manipulate said lights, substantially'as described.

3. In a panorama, the combination with a circular wall having itsinner surface painted to represent the sky, of a circular partition parallel with said wall, set a distance therefrom, and painted on its inner surface to represent the distant part of, a landscape, and having its top corresponding with the horizon-line of the landscape, lights arranged between said wall and said partition, and mechanism adapted to manipulate said lights, substantially as described.

4. In a panorama, the combination with a series of parallel flexible strips painted to represent waves upon their surfaces facing the foreground, and supported at intervals on fixed supports, of mechanism adapted to vibrate the free portions of said strips, substantially as described.

5. In a panorama, the combination with a series of parallel flexible strips painted to represent waves on their surfaces facing the foreground, and supported at intervals on fixed supports so that the fixed supports of certain of said strips will come opposite the free portions of others of said strips, of mechanism adapted to vibrate the free portions of said strips, substantially as described.

6. In a panorama, the combination with a series of'parallelflexible strips painted to represent waves on their surfaces facing the fore ground, and supported at intervals on fixed supports so that the fixed supports of every alternate strip will come opposite the free portions of the adjacent strips, of mechanism adapted to vibrate the free portions of said strips, substantially as described.

7. In a panorama, the combination with a series of parallel flexible curved strips painted to represent waves on their surfaces facing the foreground, and supported at intervals on fixed supports so that the fixed supports of every alternate strip will come opposite the free portions of the adjacent strips, of mechanism adapted to vibrate the free portions of said strips, substantially as described. 8. In a panorama, the combination with a circular building painted upon its inner wall to represent features of alandscape, of a series of parallel concentric circular strips painted upon their inner surfaces to represent waves, and supported at intervals upon fixed supports, of mechanism adapted to vibrate the free portions of two or more of said strips simultaneously, substantially as described.

9. In a panorama, the combination with a circulai building painted upon its inner Wall to represent features of a landscape, of a se-- ries of parallel concentric circular strips painted upon their inner surfaces to represent waves and supported at intervals upon fixed supports so that the fixed supports of certain of said strips will come opposite the free portion of others of said strips, and mechanism adapted to vibrate simultaneously the strips whose free portions correspond with one another, substantially as described.

10. In a panorama, the combination with a circular building painted upon its inner Wall to represent features of a landscape, of a series of parallel concentric circular strips painted upon their inner surfaces to represent wages, and supported at intervals on fixed supports so that the fixed supports of alternate strips will come opposite the free portions of the adjacent strips, and mechanism adapted to vibrate simultaneously the free portions of alternate strips, substantially as described.

' HOWARD H. GROSS.

Witnesses:

JULIA M. BRISTOL, C. E. PICKARD. 

